Little Falls transcript., 1887-05-13
MARGARET; A PEARL.

MARGARET; A PEARL.
In q certain part Of the sea, very
many leagues from here. there once
lived large family OF oysters noted
for their beauty and size. But among
them was one SO small, so feeble, and
SO i]l-looking as to excite the pity, il
not contempt, OF all the others. The
hther, venerable bearded oyster o1
august appearance and solemn de-
pertinent, was much mortified that
one OF his family should happen to be
so sickly, and he sent for all the doc.
tors in the sea to come and treat her;
from which circumstance you are to
note that doctors are an evil to be
met with not alone upon terra frma.
The first to come was DR.. Porpoise,
a gentleman Of the old school, who
aaoundered around in q very impor-
tant manner and was full of imposing
cerem monies.
'Let me look at your tongue" said
DR.. Porpoise, stroking his beard with
one fin, impressively. "Ahem, some
what coated, see. And your pulse
is far from normal-no appetite, /
presume? Yes, my dear, your system
is sadly out OF order. You need medi-
, cine"
The little oyster hated medicine; so
, she cried-yes, she actually shed cold,
briny tears at the very thought OF
taking old DR.. Porpoise's perscrip-
tions. But the father oyster and the
mother oyster chided her sternly;
they said that the medicine would be
nice and sweet, and that the little
oyster would like it. But the little
oyster knew better than all that-yes,
she knew a thing or two, even though
she was only little oyster.
Now DIR. Porpoise put g. plaster on
the little oysters chest and blister
at her feet; he bade her eat nothing but
a tiny bit of sea foam on toast twice g.
day; every two hours she was to take
spoonful OF codliver oil, and before
each meal a wineglassful of the es-
sence of distilled cuttlefsh. The plas-
ter she didn't mind, but the blister and
the codliver Oil were terrible, and when
it came to the essence of distilled cut
tlefish-well, she just couldn't stand
it! In vain her mother reasoned with
her and promised her new doll and a,
skipping rope and a lot of other nice
things-the little oyster would have
none of the horrid drug, until at last
her father, abandoning his dignity in
order to maintain his authority, had
to hold her down by main strength
and pour the medicine into her mouth.
This was, as you will allow, quite
dreadful.
But this treatment did the little
oyster no good, and her parents
made up their minds that they would
send for another doctor, and one OF
different school. Fortunately they
were in position to indulge in al
most any expense, since the father
oyster himself was president of one Of
the largest banks of Newfoundland.
so DR.. Sculpin came with his neat lit
tile medicine box under his arm, and
when he had looked at the sick little
oysters tongue and had taken her
temperature and had felt her pulse,
The said he knew what allied her, but
lhe did not tell, anybody what it was.
HE threw away the plasters, the bis
tiers, the codliver oil, and the essence
,of distilled cuttlefsh, and said it was
"a wonder that the poor child has
lived through it all! ., s.
"Will you please bring me two tum-
blerfuls OF water?" he remarked TO
sthe mother oyster.
The mother oyster scuttled away
sand soon returned with two conch
shells filed to the brim With pure,
sclear sea water. DR.. Sculbrim count
sed three grains Of white sand into one
shell and three grains of yellow sand
into the other she'll with great care.
Now" said he to the mother ,oys-
ter, 81 have numbered these 1 aud q,
first you are to give the patient ten
drops out OF No. 2, and, in an hour
after that, eight drops out Of, No. l.;
the next hour eight drops out of No.
q. and the next pr fourth hour, ten
drops out OF No. !. And so you are
TO continue hour by hour until the
medicine or the child gives out" r.
Fell me. DOCTOR = asked the mother,
s'shall she continue the food sug-
gested BY Dr.. Porpoise9D {.
hat food did he recommend?"
inquired DR.. Sculpin.
.'Seafoanr on toast, answered the
mother. .f5t 81 81 =s1.
Dr. sculpin smiled 8 smile which
seemed to suggest that DR.. Porpoise's
ignorance MAS really quite annoying.
My dear madam, = said DR.. Soul
/ pin, t't the diet suggested BY that quack
Porpoiss passed out OF the books
years ago. Give tho child toast on
seafoam II you wish to build sup her
debilitatsd forces.''
Nov tina little sick oysteF did not
object 70 this trea atnent;; on the con-
trary, che liked it. But it did her no
Rgood, aud one day, when she
fwas tseline & very dry, abe drank
both tunnble fnls Of medicine and it
did not do her any harm neither did
cure her sh0 remained the sams
ssiak little oyster, Oh, ao sickl This
ain4d her rents very much; they
did not know W has to do. they took
aveling. they gave 1lor into the
ssCare Qf The eel Tor IN ctric tro8tmcnt,
ANY, MT hsr ~ tbe Cult stream for
u si n e ~ a . .sverythinp.
81. a!!ass ], { Z IA q lltt soystsr